Family Owned Business and Closely Held Companies

Many prosperous companies—both those already well-established as well as those less widely-known—call Michigan home. They were often founded by individuals with close shared ties, including coming from the same family or being personal contacts with common goals.

These family owned businesses and closely held companies face the same operational challenges, government hurdles and desire to succeed as their publicly traded or foreign owned counterparts. What often sets them apart in their desire to achieve the American dream is the importance and value they place on culture and reputation and how they approach decision-making and risk-taking.

Miller Johnson attorneys are privileged to work with many of these family owned businesses and closely held companies. Attorneys in the Family Owned Business and Closely Held Companies group successfully provide guidance and assistance in handling those challenges and understand the driving differences. Our experience with these companies has earned us recognition and ranking in the top tier for Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law as a law firm by U.S. News and World Report on their Best Law Firms List as well as from Best Lawyers in America for several of our attorneys.

Planning for profit and growth 
After identifying the mission and vision for the company, it’s time to ensure the groundwork supports it and drives the plan. We are adept at providing advice and support in these areas:

  • Corporate governance
  • Legal organizational structure & strategy
  • Debt and equity financing
  • Tax strategy

Attracting and retaining the right employees
Whether your company makes a product or provides a service, having the right people to advance this is crucial. Here are some of the human resource areas we are known for:

  • Employment law – hiring, personnel policies, establishing healthy employee relations, and union avoidance
  • Labor law – collective bargaining, union-management relations
  • Employee benefits and executive compensation
  • Equity and quasi-equity incentive plans and executive compensation

Operating day-to-day
With your mission motivating you, a plan in place and the people dedicated to see it through, we are committed to providing legal support in the daily operations of your business. Here are ways we bring our experience to be a resource for you:

  • Commercial contracts
  • Real estate matters from development to land use
  • Risk management (including insurance coverage and fraud and embezzlement)
  • Distressed customers and collection risks

Complying with regulations
Clients often tell us one of their greatest fears is being found non-compliant with the myriad of regulations they face. We want you to avoid violations and can represent you when faced with audits and investigations. Here are some of the areas:

  • Human resource issues related to ADA, FMLA, OSHA/MIOSHA, wage and hour, and affirmative action
  • Licensing and zoning
  • Tax audits and disputes
  • Environmental regulations

Cultivating an edge
In order to thrive and grow, companies need to monitor the economic trends and factors and innovate to stay ahead of the competition. We’re able to handle these needs for you:

  • Protecting your intellectual property
  • Non-competes
  • Joint ventures
  • Technology and data management

Caring for family and friends
Our team members advise company owners with many of the personal legal services they need including:

  • Estate planning and wealth management
  • Family law – from prenuptials to complex divorces
  • Vacation home planning
  • Asset protection

Exit planning
Our team of sophisticated advisors is constantly involved in exit transactions and exit planning strategy sessions with our clients that include:

  • Merger and acquisition transactions
  • Business succession planning
  • Gifting and generational transitions
  • Transaction financing and leveraged buyouts

We are a mid-size, Michigan-based firm with deep-rooted and well-respected attorneys offering family owned businesses and closely held companies and their owners an extraordinary level of professional expertise and experience in vital practices and valued legal services. Miller Johnson is a member of Meritas, an established global alliance of independent, full-service law firms distinguished by high quality standards. We leverage this relationship on behalf of our clients with the confidence that their matters will be handled with a high degree of skill and ease.

Contact Our Team
We developed our multidisciplinary Family Owned Business and Closely Held Companies to be an effective resource for our clients and professional contacts. We are practical, responsive, and resourceful, and we take pride in providing legal services that meet clients’ needs and exceed their expectations. Contact us to learn how we can work proactively to help you succeed in these dynamic times.